As incredible as that may sound, the American Journal of Preventive Medicine showed it’s absolutely true. In one of the largest weight loss studies ever conducted, they found those who used this tool dropped an average of 18 pounds of pure fat, while those who went without it only lost nine pounds.

And those are just average results! I’ve personally used it to shed over 50 pounds of stubborn fat, after years of struggling with my weight. It was a total difference-maker for me.

The incredible tool I’m talking about is a food journal.You use it to write down and record all of the food and drinks you consume during your day. Easy enough, right? But don’t be fooled by its simplicity. The results are almost magical!

By keeping track of your food intake, you’re held accountable for all of your food choices.No more secrets. No more hiding from your bad eating habits. Everything you eat is documented, shown in clear view, right in front of your face.

So if you aren’t getting the results you desire, it’s easy to just open up the journal and see why that is. For example: If the scale isn’t moving in the right direction, and you see you’re drinking two cans of soda every day, then it’s safe to assume that’s the culprit.

Also, using a journal lets you keep track of how food makes you feel. If you saw that you consumed a lot of sugar one night, then wake up the next day with a headache, the reminder will make it much easier to avoid that sugar in the future.

Another way I use it is to write down my intentions and goals. If you want to lose 20 pounds, you can write little messages in the journal to keep yourself focused. After seeing pages upon pages of eating healthy, with little reminders that you’re getting closer to your goal, it gives you more willpower to not be tempted by junk. After all, you wouldn’t want to ruin all that positive momentum!

You can get all these incredible results from a simple pad and pencil. Or, if you don’t want to lug around a notebook, there are free programs you can download for your computer or smart phone.

Either way, you’ll have everything you need to stop running in circles and finally make the head-turning progress you’ve been dreaming of a reality. And if you just let its power work for you, I’m sure you will be pleasantly surprised by the results!